John Lynch Hints at Trey Lance as 49ers' Starting QB in 2022 amid Garoppolo Rumors

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch suggested Wednesday the team is preparing to move forward with Trey Lance as its starting quarterback for the 2022 season.

Lynch was asked about the Niners' QB situation on NFL Network's Good Morning Football amid rumors of a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade, and he noted Lance's status as the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft is a factor.

"There certainly has been discussions. We'll always listen to things, but when you make that kind of investment in someone, you tend to use him," Lynch said.

The sixth-year GM added: "I think he's just got that makeup that the great ones do. We can only hope that he can be Patrick Mahomes or anything close to that, but he's gonna get his chance to go show that."

The Niners retained Garoppolo for the 2021 campaign despite spending the top-five pick on Lance, and it was an effective strategy. They posted a 10-7 record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game before falling short against the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

Lance showed promise across six appearances (two starts). He completed 57.7 percent of his throws for 603 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 168 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

Ultimately, the difference is Garoppolo has shown he's a highly effective game manager when there's talent around him, but there's a cap on how much he can carry an offense. He's thrown a modest 71 touchdown passes in 63 career games (47 starts).

Lance, meanwhile, is a potential game-changer if he lives up to expectations. He's still a work in progress but could become a quarterback in the mold of Mahomes, Josh Allen or Justin Herbert in terms of making plays in a myriad of different ways.

While learning on the sideline and from sporadic on-field appearances is one thing, the 21-year-old North Dakota State product needs the full-time starting job to really jump-start his progression as an NFL signal-caller.

It's also an ideal time to trade Garoppolo, as he has one season left on his five-year, $137.5 million contract, and the demand for proven QB play far outweighs the supply this offseason given the lackluster free-agent group and the lack of high-end prospects in the draft class.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Garoppolo is expected to undergo shoulder surgery "soon" and a full recovery isn't expected to summer, but it's not viewed as something that will impact his trade status amid what Lynch called "significant interest."

All told, the tea leaves coming into the offseason suggested a transition was set to begin at quarterback for the 49ers. Lynch's comments further that belief.

So, with the Lance era set to begin in San Francisco, the questions now center around where Garoppolo will land and how much the front office can get in return.